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334 SASKATCHEWAN AND ITS PEOPLE
Interior, in order that the Dominion Government may be made acquainted
with the desire of the people of St. Laurent which is believed to extend
to other settlements in the Territories". St. Laurent was a settlement
mainly composed of French Metis on the banks of the Saskatchewan.
EDUCATION: DANGER OF CHILDREN GROWING UP IN IGNORANCE.
In the next session the Lieutenant-Governor's letter to the Minister
of Interior transmitting and submitting the petition of Messrs. Ouelette
and Landry, was laid before the Council. It gave as a reason for its
submission that "the Council had no funds to aid educational objects" and
said further -"As it does not appear that the Council now has power to
impose direct taxation except in Electoral Districts, I fear that without
some allowance from the Federal Government for general purposes such
as is granted to the Provinces the children in small settlements in isolated
sections of the Territories must grow up in ignorance. This is a result
to be deplored as a large portion of the rising generation will thus remain
in a great measure unfitted not only to exercise the franchise intelligently,
when they obtain the privilege, but also for the active duties of
life.
The Hon. David Mills was at this time Minister of the Interior. In
his reply he said: -"While agreeing with you that the Council of the
Northwest Territories has not power to impose direct taxation for school
or other purposes it appears to me that the Council might obtain the end
in view by raising a fund for school corporation and giving them the
right to impose a school rate. The constitutional objection of want of
representation which would apply in the case of taxation by the Council
would merely tax themselves. In the event of school corporations being
established, and it was found necessary to supplement the amount raised
by them the amount so required should be placed in your estimates for the
Government of the Territories, taking care to indicate the special object
for which such amount is required". In the foregoing may be detected
the germ of school 0rganization~school corporations (boards of trustees)
people taxing themselves with assistance from the Government.
THE SESSION 1878: PAUL BRELAND TAKES HIS SEAT.
When the session of July 1878 was held, Livingstone had been finally
dispossessed of its temporary dignity. The Mounted Police Barracks
there were no longer the seat of Government and the Parliament Build-
ings. The capital had been moved farther west to the banks of the Battle
River, and it was at Battleford that the new Council held it's second
meeting. In the interval Mr. Pascal Breland who will be recognized
as a member of the Old Fort Garry Council, had been appointed and the
Council now numbered four-Richardson and Ryan, ex-officers and Colonel
Macleod and Paschal Breland appointed. Mr. Breland was officially de-
scribed as "Merchant of Cypress Hills."
The camouflaged "Speech from the Throne" with the formal address